Trim the goatee and get rid of the ponytail and wife-beater and there really is nothing wrong with Fredo. This show is called Average Joe after all. Not sure why some people are harping on the hairy chest. Its just not natural in my opinion for a man to shave body hair.

Trim the goatee and get rid of the ponytail and wife-beater and there really is nothing wrong with Fredo. This show is called Average Joe after all. Not sure why some people are harping on the hairy chest. Its just not natural in my opinion for a man to shave body hair.

As Cleveland's average Joes go, Alfred "Fredo" LaPonza is not chopped liver.

The construction contractor has a com pact, muscular frame, ruggedly handsome features, artful tattoos and a ponytail that stretches down the middle of his back.

Yet he wound up riding the white bus with Scrawny, Anal and Dorky to meet a beautiful woman on the reality dating show "Average Joe: Hawaii." He was there to compete for her affections against 17 other guys.

The situation didn't intimidate LaPonza in the least. He chomped his gum through the entire introduction.

"I date beautiful girls all the time, so I could care less," he said over lunch in a favorite spot near his downtown Cleveland apartment.

Neither did LaPonza, 31, have any illusions about group dates in paradise being the path to true love.

"I'm not going to build a relationship with this broad in seven weeks," he said.

In each episode, she must eliminate some of her suitors. And another twist is on the way. Partway through the competition, eight runway-worthy studs will be introduced to the competition. Which will she choose: inner beauty or a perfect six-pack?

The first installment of "Average Joe" concluded Dec. 8. That "Average Joe" and "Average Joe: Hawaii" were taped at the same time to preserve the secret twist, according to the show's publicist.

LaPonza wouldn't reveal how he stacked up in the love-o-rama, except to hint: "You'll be seeing a lot of me." Life as an Average Joe was anything but. After all, he was in Hawaii, living in a mansion and going on exciting adventures.

"It will blow people away," he said. "People are going to love it."

LaPonza originally thought he was auditioning for another reality show. A friend, whose bar was being used for auditions, urged LaPonza to try out in April.

"I pretty much made them laugh," LaPonza said.

But LaPonza was skeptical about the show's angle. He blew off producers' calls until they contacted his mother, who urged him to investigate further. LaPonza flew to Los Angeles for more auditions. Slowly, he figured out that he was being cast on a dating show.

"They kept it a really good secret," he said.

Not even the jocks' arrival fazed him.

"You'll see my reaction," he said. "I laughed. I'm a very confident person. These guys were no better than me. They eat Power Bars and go on the treadmill."

LaPonza grew up in Seven Hills and dropped out of Normandy High School ("and proud of it") in his sophomore year. A self-described mama's boy, he has remained close to his large Italian clan.

LaPonza also helps children with Down syndrome through an organization he has started called Miracle Angels. He plays Santa and the Easter Bunny at kids' gatherings.

"I hop, yeah," he said. "If someone needs something, we try to help them get it."

LaPonza hasn't seen "Average Joe: Hawaii" yet. Tonight, he'll be a celebrity bartender at a viewing party at the Mercury Lounge in Cleveland. There will be another viewing party starting at 6 p.m. at Scorchers Casual Eatery and Draft House in Bedford Heights.

My favorite the first time around. Honest enough to admit the girl was a "piece of ass" (that's not always a vile thing to say, if the circumstance is right), and yet also very understanding and protective of David (who may be so annoying that he doesn't deserve that protection, but it was nice of Fredo anyway).